Metal stamping device



March 9, 1937. G. HOFFMANN 2,073,154

METAL STAMPING DEVICE Filed May 9, 1955 5 jf v J6 f fifi Patented Mar.9, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to metal stamping devices and more particularlyto devices for punching identication numbers into machines, castings,bars, etc., of metal.

An object o the invention is to provide a device of the kind described.which will insure that the die of the stamping device impacts againstthe material to be stamped in a fiat, even manner so as to give aclearly legible stamping.

Another object has been to provide efficient indicating means forindicating the die which is in position for stamping, and also means fortruing or aligning the die in proper position and keeping it in saidposition.

l5 Another object has been to provide means for positioning the diewhich will insure the die to be positioned in the proper mannerautomatically.

Another object has been to provide means for sighting the device withrespect to the material to be stamped to ascertain its position withrespect to the material.

Another object among others has been to provide a stamping device whichwill have an efficient punching action.

Another object has been to provide a device oi the character describedwhich will be durable and emcient, simple in operation and number ofparts, and inexpensive to produce.

To accomplish these objects I have provided a device having a standardand a movable die disk in the standard, movably mounted whereby when theentire device is placed on the material to be stamped, a flat, full, andeven contact is had between the die and the material to give a highlysatisfactory stamping.

These and other objects and advantages will appear more fullyhereinafter.

The invention will be best understood by ref-y erence to theaccompanying drawing forming a 4o part of this specication, in which:

Fig. l is an elevational View; Fig. 2 is an end view; Fig. 3 is anenlarged View taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a centralsection of the device shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a detail section taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

The concrete exemplication which has been 5o selected to illustrate theprinciple of my invention and its application, includes a base I0,having upwardly extending walls II and I2 with elongated slots I3 in thewalls. The walls are provided with cut-outs I4 as shown in Fig. 5,providing a horizontal face I5 in each wall and (Cl. lill- 29) verticalfaces I6. A plunger I'l has legs I8. legs of the plunger are offsetinteriorly as at i3, having shoulders 23 to provide an enlarged recess2| and a reduced recess 22 to accommodate a pawl, as will hereinafter bemore fully apparent. 5 The legs i8 are adapted to straddle the walls l iand I2. The plunger is adapted to reciprocate in the cut-out portionsi4, the vertical faces IS guiding the movement of the plunger. The legsI8 are provided with bores 23 to accommodate a 10 stud 2li which extendsalso through the slots I3, which stud is also adapted to extend througha bore 25 and a stamping wheel or disk 2G. The stud has a cap 2'! at oneend and at the other end has an annular groove 28 for a spring locking15 member 2S, as shown in Fig. 1.

The stamping wheel or disk 23 on its outer peripheral face 30 has aplurality of raised character dies 3l and notches 32, there being anotch between each pair of dies. Indices 33 are pro- 20 vided on a sideof the wheel 26 which may be seen through sight slots 3ft in the wallsII in the base I0. A pin 35 is mounted in the plunger I I and isconnected to a ratchet 35 normally held by a spring 3l in one of thenotches 32 to prop- 25 erly position the dies. While the ratchet doesnot prevent turning when turning is desired to adjust the wheel, thearrangement is suiiicient to prevent accidental turning and to maintainthe dies in a true or aligned condition. 30

The plunger Il is normally held in raised position by means of a pair ofsprings located in the cut-outs I4. Each spring is located between ashoulder 20 and a horizontal face I5 of one of the walls II and I2, andalso between one of the 35 offset walls I9 and the stamping disk, andalso between a pair of vertical faces IE in one of the walls I I and I2.By this arrangement each of the springs 38 is bounded and held inposition.

The base I0 is provided with an arcuate cut- 40 out portion 39 so as notto interfere with the arcuate wheel when it is hammered down to bestamped and to permit the die to extend therethrough to stamp thematerial.

It will be manifest from the foregoing that the 45 springs 38, abutingat one end against the walls II and I2 and with the other end againstthe plunger, cause the plunger and the wheel to which the plunger isconnected through the elongated slot I3 to be normally held in elevatedposition. 50 The wheel may be turned until the desired die is lowermostand the ratchet will Serve to true or align the die. The fact of thetrue position of the die may be learned from the click of the ratchet inthe proper notch and also by attempt- 55 The ing to gently move thewheel to see if it locked by the engagement of the ratchet in thegroove. The ratchet will also keep the wheel in the desired trueposition. When it is desired to stamp material, the device may be placedupon the material with its base resting thereon and the entire devicemay be properly positioned by sighting through the cut-out portion 39 atthe base, it being understood also that the sight slot 34 Will permitthe user to determine what die is in lowermost position. With the devicein proper position with respect to the material, it can then be assumedthat the die itself is in proper position, and the plunger may be struckwith a hammer or other device, and a full, ilat, even impact Will be hadfrom the die upon the material to be stamped with a highly satisfactoryimpression.

It will be understood that While I have shown only one Wheel, any numberof Wheels may be used.

The device of my invention has an advantage in respect to safety also,inasmuch as it is not necessary to hold the device in using it. Thedevice may be allowed to rest by itself upon the material to be stampedwithout any need for holding it, and all that is necessary is to strikethe plunger with a hammer.

By means of my device the human element in positioning the die on thematerial for the hammer blow is entirely eliminated, and a satisfactoryresult is insured.

While I have shown a, particular spring arrangement and a particulararrangement of plunger, etc., it will be understood that my disclosurerelates only to one form of my invention which may take countless otherforms.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form ofconstruction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable ofvariation and modication without departing from the spirit of theinvention. I, therefore, do not Wish to be limited to the precisedetails of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of suchvariations and modifications as come within the scope of the appendedclaim.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1s:

In a metal stamping device, a base having a pair of upwardly extendingwalls provided with elongated slots and cut out at their upper end toprovide a horizontal face and vertical faces in each wall, said basehaving a foot plate extending beyond the side faces and having a centralaperture therein; a plunger having a pair of downwardly extending legsprovided with bores and a recess, said legs being adapted to straddlethe Walls of the base; a stud adapted to extend through the bores in thelegs and the elongated slots in the walls for mounting the plunger inthe base; a stamping wheel mounted on said stud; and means for normallyholding the plunger and stamping wheel in raised position, said meansincluding springs located between the walls of the base and the plunger,said stamping wheel having visible indicia on one side, and one of theWalls of the base having a sight slot for sighting said indicia.

GUSTAV HOFFMANN.

